Recent Updates

In partnership with seven other nations, the United States signed an agreement on Tuesday designed to establish the principles that will guide cooperation among international participants in NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program. Rooted in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the principles laid out in the Artemis Accords include a commitment to peaceful exploration, transparency and […]

NASA and Boeing have announced that NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore will replace Chris Ferguson as commander for the first crewed mission of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. Ferguson, a three-time NASA space shuttle veteran, is stepping back from the position for undisclosed personal reasons. He will assume the roles of director of Mission Integration and […]

uAvionix has received a patent for its direct-broadcast remote identification (RID) device for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones). Calling its new patent “critical to the safe and secure integration of [UAS] into the National Airspace Systems (NAS),” the company says the device will address the “need for direct air-to-air transmission of UAS identification information without requiring […]

Boeing announced plans on Thursday to consolidate production of the 787 jet at its facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, by mid-2021. Citing the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Boeing says it made the decision in order to “preserve liquidity and reposition certain lines of business in the current global environment.” 787 production is […]

Bell Textron’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) 70 unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone) successfully completed a demonstration flight on Monday as part of NASA’s Systems Integration and Operationalization (SIO) activities. The objective of the ATP 70 demonstration was to simulate an urgent medical transport mission including beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight in an urban environment along with […]

Tamarack Aerospace Group announced on Wednesday that it has tripled existing office space and acquired a new hangar at its facility in Sandpoint, Idaho. According to the company, the new space will accommodate expanding sales and research and development efforts aimed at future applications for its active winglet technology. Tamarack also opened an installation center […]

The FAA announced on Thursday that it has added 133 additional air traffic facilities to its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) system. The LAANC system, which automates the airspace authorization application and approval process for drone operators, is run as a partnership between the agency and private unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) service suppliers. […]

The Chinese government is trying to influence U.S. aviation policy but it’s not hiding behind fake websites or social media pseudonyms to do so. The People’s Republic of China is one of 66 individuals and organizations commenting on an FAA Federal Register Notice on the certification of some drones. As we reported earlier, the agency […]

Urban air mobility (UAM) company Volocopter announced on Wednesday that it is now selling tickets for piloted air taxi flights in its VoloCity electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Angling to become “the first electric air taxi company to acquire paying end-customers,” Germany-based Volocopter is limiting its initial offering to 1,000 slots. The €300 […]

Ground testing of Boeing’s Loyal Wingman prototype is underway with the first engine start on the autonomous unmanned aircraft successfully completed this month. The Loyal Wingman is designed to serve as the foundation for Boeing’s Airpower Teaming System, which uses “artificial intelligence to fly independently or in support of manned aircraft.” The aircraft is the […]